Work with people in the service industry long enough and you’ll hear and see things that you never in a million years would have believed someone would say out loud or do in public. How often has one of your co-workers come up to you with a crazy customer story… seriously! Someone should write a book. Oh wait, they have – many of them, such as Retail Hell by Freeman Hall or Weird Things Customers Say in Bookstores by Jen Campbell. I’m sure most places of business could pool together their stories and publish something similar, but while these works make for an entertaining look at life in the retail world, dealing with a ‘crazy’ customer in real life is something else.
‘Crazy’ customers run the gamut from funny to criminally insane. You can deal with ‘quirky’ and those customers who say the darndest things…well they make for a great break-room story but there are other types of customers that take you shouldn’t put up with. Here’s who you need to walk away from.
The Forceful Flirt – The innocent flirt is o.k. and for the most part a flirty customer is harmless, perhaps even charming at times, but when they take things too far by saying inappropriate or rude things, become overtly suggestive or actually touching you, excuse yourself and get away from them immediately. Then get a person of their same sex or your manager to take over for you.
The Un-pleasable – Most retail customers are great. They know that you are doing your best and they appreciate your efforts. But then there are those few customers who are just unhappy with everything you do no matter how hard you try.
When you do end up serving a Fussy-Franny, you need to contain the situation but if you aren’t able to disarm this ticking time bomb…get help. If you have tried your best and the customer is becoming highly irrational it’s time to step back and get your manager involved before the customer blows up and makes a scene.
The Violent Bully – This customer can be really scary. Sometimes customers try to use aggression or intimidation to try to get their way because it has worked for them in the past. If you have the misfortune of having to say ‘no’ to a tyrant they may go from arguing to making threats and violent gestures or create some other intimidating situation. If this happens remove yourself from these menacing circumstances straight away. Call security, your management team or the police. Don’t feed into this customers rage and argue with them, there is nothing to ‘win’ here. No matter how hot your head feels NEVER get into a physical altercation with any customer especially if you know you could ‘take them’ if you do – you’re sure to lose much more than a fight.